Mechanism for operating car brakes and couplings



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MEGHANISM EUR OPERATING GAR BRAKES AND GOUPLINGS.

Y No. 396,614. Patented Jan. 22, 1889.

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` MEGEANISM EUR OPERATING CAR BRAKES ANDUOUPLINGS. No. 396,614. Patented Jan. 22,1889.

uw kmm Swim UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY IIO\VARD SESSIONS, OF PULLMA, ASSIGNOR TO TIIE PULLIIIANS PALACE CAR COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MEOHANISM FOR OPERATING CAR BRAKES AND COUPLINGS.

SPECIFCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 396,614, dated January 22, 1889. Application filed January 30, 1888. Serial No. 262,309. (No model.)

To all whom, it may con/cern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY HOWARD SEC- sIONS, a citizen otA the United States, residing at Pullman, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanism for Operating Car Brakes and Couplings, which I desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States, and of which the followin g is a speciiication.

The purpose oi' my invention is to provide mechanism for operating' the brakes of cars when the vestibuled construction ot platform is adopted. The vestibule finish of a car renders the ordinary brake operating mechanism inconvenient, if not impracticable, in such connection, and it therefore becomes necessary to so provide for such construe tions that the mechanism may be placed in a convenient position for operation, and at the same time not interfere with nor otter any obstruction to the vestibule purposes and conveniences. My mechanism is also designed to be connected with the car in another and reverse position, where it is made available for the purpose ot' operating` the carcoupling.

The mechanism ot' my improvement may ot' course be used in connection with cars of ordinary construction and attord advantages over other mechanism for such purpose.

In the drawings making a part ot' this speciiication, Figure l is a plan ot car-platform timbers to which the improved mechanism is applied. Fig. il is a plan ot the mechanism enlarged, with portions not important to the illustration omitted, as indicated by broken lines. Fig. l is a vertical section through line ai, Fig. 2. Fig. i is a side elevation, and in addition thereto embodies diagrams illustrating movements. Fig. 5 is an inverted plan of car-platform timbers, showing device for uncoupling. Fig. U same as Fig. 4 reversed. Fig. 7 a detail.

In Fig. l an outline or general view of the mechanism is given, showing the preferaljile position thereof and proporthmate relation to the car-platform. Ot the parts shown in this tigure, A is the front timbers of the platform. B represents one ot' the platform-timbers occupying the position oi'z the riser oi the npper step, and l) represents a chain connecting the mechanism For operating the brake, as provided in this invention with the brakelevers. The chain D attached to the shaft A. A perforation, as a provision for such connection, is shown in Fig.

One end of shaft A has a journal-bearing in a plate, A, secured against the side ot' timber B. The other end of shaft A has a seat for its reduced or journal end E in a cylindrical sleeve or shank, E, which latter has a support in a journal-bearing, D. The latter is provided with a vertical flanged portion, D. Any convenient arrangement and construction ot' these supporting parts may of course be adopt-ed; but in this example I locate the bearing D and its extended portions E beneath the timber B,with Iiange D bearing against the inner tace of said timber when bolt-in g or any convenient fastening adopted.

On shaft A is mounted a ratchet-wheel, a, secured thereto by a rim or sleeved portion, a', carrying a set-screw, o. On the outer end of sleeve E attached a lever, J, which, as shown in Fig. l, is provided with a handle,

j. On the inner end of sleeve E is mounted a cam, l), secured to the sleeve by a set-screw, b. At the extremity ot' cam l, adjacent to lever J, is pivoted an actuating pawl, e, adapted normallyv to engage the teeth ot" ratchet c.. As a means t'or preventing reaction ot' the ratchet when chain D under tension pawl R provided. The latter, as a bearing, is secured againstihe tubular projection I, emanating ronl and integral with liauge D. A bolt, of which n and n repre sent the head and nut, that extends through the pawl, projectitm I, and the flange D serves in pivotally securing said pawl. The portion d of pawl R is adapted to engage the teeth ot' ratchet a. (foiled around projection I is a wire spring, fi, having its inner end permanently tastenedand its outer cnd bearing upon a stud, R', of th'e pawl R. The function ot' spring is to normally hold the pawl in position to engage with the ratchet-wheel. Pawl c is normally held in such engaging position by a spring, "n, bolted on cam o, or rather IOC) the function of spring' fu is designed to insure proper action of pawl e.

Pawl R is provided with an extension, R, that when said pawl is in normal position lies adjacent to or overlaps the ratchet. On that portion of cam l) in proximity to pawl R is an extension or toe, b, adapted to engage with extension R. Pawl e on the opposite side of its pivotal point e from the engaging end is provided with a tripping' end, e, (shown outlined in Fig. 4,) that is adapt-ed to engage with a horizontal stud, S, projecting from the flange D.

As shown by the lighter of the dotted lines, Fig. 4, when lever J is in a horizontal position, the Aend e bears against stud S sufficiently to trip the ratchet end of the pawl and disengage it from the ratchet. This horizontal position of lever J is the one designed for it when the mechanism is not in use, in which said lever lies along the riser of the upper step, and thus out of the way and in a position to be conveniently operated. In this position pawl e is, as before stated, thrown out of contact with the ratchet. The toe t at such time is in contact with extension R of pawl R, also disengaging the latter from the ratchet, shaft A beingthen free to rotate and permit the unwinding of chain D. A position on a lower step affords a convenient one in which to operate the lever. After lever J is raised somewhat from its horizontal position the pawls are released and engage with the ratchet, when, by a succession of movements of the lever between the position indicated bythe more prominent dotted lines, Fig. It, and one suiiieiently above the horizontal to not disengage the pawls, the shaft A may be rotated and the chain thus wound up to apply the brakes. The end of the lever may be moved only through an are sufficient to cause the ratchet to move one or more teeth on the retainingpawl, and of course perform the operat-ion designed, the dotted lines being intended to indicate this action to a greater or less degree.

In Fig. 6 the mechanism is the same as that described, excepting reversed to adapt it 'for the other side of the platform, and is for the purpose of operating the coupling. ln Fig. 5, while the lever J is shown relatively to the sheet upon the same side as in Fig. l, this is due to the fact that the platform is inverted. A chain, D, attached to shaft A', Ais carried over a pulley, V, to a lever, t, of the clutchcoupling H, to open the jaw of the latter for the purpose of separating the cars.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

l. ln railway-car construction, a shaft pivotally mounted in a horizontal position in the timbers of the car-platform that is adapted for winding thereon, a chain or cable for operating the brakes or coupling of the car, a ratchet rigidly mounted. on said shaft, an actuating-pawl having a movable bearing and adapted to engage with said ratchet, a. retaining-pawl having a permanent bearing and adapted Vto engage with the ratchet, a 7o lever connected with the actuating pawl, adapted by a reciprocating movement thereof to impart a like movement to the said actuatingpawl, a stationary tripping part by which the ratchet end of the actuating-pawl is disengaged when the lever is brought to a given position,Y and a movable tripping point or cam actuated by the lever and adapt-- ed to disengage the retaining-pawl from the ratchet when the parts operated by the lever 8o are in such position that the actuating-pawl is also disengaged.

2. In railway-car construction, a shaft to which is attached a chain or cable, the latter adapted for operating the brakes or coupling, 8 5 said shaft having a horizontal position and pivotally bearing on the ear timbers, a ratchet-wheel mounted rigidly on said shaft,

a pivotal sleeve or shank that serves as a bearing for one end of the shaft to which the 9o chain or cable is attached, a cam rigidly secured on said sleeve or shank, a pawl mounted on said cam and adapted to engage with the ratchet-wheel, a retaining-pawl, also adapted to engage with the ratchet having a permanent bearing, and a lever so connected with the mechanism as to be adapted to operate the actuating-pawl.

3. In railway-car construction and applied to the platform of a car, a shaft, A', horizon- 10o tally located and pivotally mounted, a ratchet, a, rigidly mounted on said shaft, a bearing, D', a pivotal shank or sleeve, E, adapted a journal-bearing for the end E of the shaft, a cam, l), rigidly mounted on the shank or sleeve E, a pawl, E, secured to said cam, a pawl, R, attached to the permanent structure, a spring, t', for holding said pawl in engaged position, a movable toe or tripping part, b, for disengaging the pawl R, a 11o permanent tripping part, S, for disengaging the pawl e, and the lever J, adapted when not in use to occupy a horizontal position at the side of the platform that is so connected with the actuating mechanism as to be available for operating the same, substantially as described.

lIENRY HOWARD SESSIONS.

'itnesses:

E. L. HUBER, JOSEPH RIDGE. 

